When Blossoms Die
by PALC
Summary: No one can buy love, but you can buy freedom. When Lee makes a ridiculous deal with Hiashi to buy Neji's freedom, will the Hyuuga keep their end of the bargain? Lee, when did your love for Sakura die? Lee/Neji Yaoi


**When Blossoms Die**

Disclaimer: I claim no rights or ownership of Naruto. This is a work of fanfiction, purely for enjoyment and in no way distributed for sale and/or profit.

Summary: No one can buy love, but you can buy freedom. When Lee makes a ridiculous deal with Hiashi to buy Neji's freedom, will the Hyuuga keep their end of the bargain? Lee, when did your love for Sakura die? Lee/Neji Yaoi

* * *

It wasn't unusual for Lee to arrive late for training- it wasn't even unusual for him to arrive exhausted, leaning against a tree for support and about to drop dead from god knows what limit he had pushed his body to that time.

But it _was_ unusual for him to just not arrive.

Tenten turned to her other teammate, Neji, and for a second took in his calm exterior. He was meditating under a tree, sitting with poise and grace, surrounded by a cold, uninviting air. He was like a delicate statue, beautiful but hard as stone. He looked all too human but under that layer of skin was a heart of ice. At least, that's how it seemed anyway. By now, she had learned to see past the brunette's fearsome façades because in the end, they were both just as fed up waiting on Lee.

And she was. Fed up, that is.

For the past half hour she had been pretending to listen to their sensei, Gai, droning on and on about how sure he was Lee had a most youthful excuse. A sensei that continued to gabber ceaselessly about their missing teammate only served to increase their ire to dangerous levels though, getting them more irritated by Lee's lacking presence every second.

"This has got to stop," Tenten grumbled as she stomped over to Neji.

Neji's eyes were closed, but she knew he was listening to every sound she made. Gai blinked at her, but she ignored him; she had stopped listening twenty minutes ago.

"Haven't you ever wondered why Lee always arrives late to training?" She asked hesitantly, not sure he would even answer her until his eyes slowly opened, granting her with another of his piercing glares.

As always, she winced, the glare enough to demean her confidence a notch lower. It really wasn't fair when he pulled that out because even without the Byakugan, Neji's eyes were intense, like a knife slicing straight through you. She wasn't afraid of him per se, but that stare of his could scare a dead man. She had to remind herself constantly this was just how Neji was.

He breathed out though, relaxing his posture before seeming to focus on her and begin the arduous task of registering the question she'd asked.

"I don't particularly care what has that trash late this time. If I had been interested, I would have inquired a long time ago..."

She winced mentally. That was a typical response as well. It made her want to scream.

_Why is nobody on this team normal_?

He stood up smoothly, a true Hyuuga, and the way he moved never failed to leave Tenten breathless. All Hyuuga must be conditioned with the grace of a panther, each step silent but deadly, as if they were to step on water it would not stir the slightest, hunting the unsuspecting prey just beneath the rippling surface. She both admired and envied it. Tenten wanted that evenness in her gait, that flow in her movements but knew it wasn't something one simply obtained.

Neji narrowed his eyes sharply at Gai, who was still talking mind you, and his glare intensified tenfold.

"Gai, I'm done waiting for that fool. Let's begin training already."

* * *

He had barely broken a sweat this time, he thought, as the bodies simultaneously hit the ground—dead weight but not dead.

Lee sighed and began to search their belongings, another side-job cleared. He reviewed his mission in his head. His employer had wanted an ancient scroll retrieved. Lee easily located it in one of the body's shoulder bags. It wasn't a tough mission, but then again none of his missions were that hard to begin with, not when you were a ninja hired for rogue. It began as a way to pay his rent. However, he had grown surprisingly attached to the new earnings, attached to what he could now afford. And though he rarely spent his money lavishly it pleased him to know he had more than enough, happy he could now begin to repay those he loved.

"For the one I love."

He twirled the scroll in his hand before depositing it in the carrying pouch strapped to his side; he had special attire for his side-job. It wasn't that he felt a need to hide his identity but he preferred it be kept as secret from his fellow ninja as possible. It wasn't as if they couldn't tell who he was if they truly wanted to, it wouldn't be hard to recognize his chakra signature after all, weak as it was, but the clothes helped. It was also a great cover with the general population. He didn't need his extra career exploited.

Behind him, the wind blew hard, reminding him of the season. Leaves were beginning to drop and he looked at the unconscious bodies still littering the road. He would have to clean this up and then he was free to go.

At another blast of wind, this time colder, he adjusted his hood. He had thrown on some thick boots and tucked a pair of plain cargo pants into the top. Underneath a forest green cloak he wore a simple black long-sleeve shirt. A matching dark green handkerchief covered the bottom half of his face. He kept his hands wrapped and his boots were weighted down so that even without his ninja garb, he was still training to increase his speed and strength.

He hurried to clear the men off the road, and slumped them one against the other on a tree a little ways off the trail. They would probably wake up and curse before reporting back to their own employers. They were only hired goons as well.

He wiped his hands against his pants and patted his pouch, checking his weapon supply out of habit. The parchment hadn't stirred and he smiled slightly. It was easy money and he enjoyed recovering stolen or lost items, even disposing of a few bad guys. It made him feel useful, like he was putting his skills to good use. His insides warmed and he couldn't help but feel like a hero. Though no one was usually there to witness his triumph, he always imagined there was and the thanks he would receive—not that the hero needed thanks of course!

He bowed in the middle of the empty road, not feeling silly in the least, and smiled before seemingly vanishing in a whirl of wind and leaves.

* * *

Neji had been thinking about him again.

About how many ways he could kill Lee.

He sat down to meditate, not bothering to track time, and waited until Tenten would predictably approach him to inquire as to Lee's absence.

Did she really think Neji knew? _Did she really think Neji cared enough to keep track of that idiot?_ He had been contemplating a new method involving ninja wire, salt, and a few hungry rats when she had interrupted. He really just wanted to get back to it actually, if only to keep himself from using his new method on her.

He answered her though, taking his sweet time doing it. He opened his eyes and again she flinched. Weak. She had always been weak and you would think after being her teammate for so long she would be used to his eyes by now. What did he expect though? No one would adjust, and even within his branch the family would avoid his eyes. Was he that jaded?

A dull laugh crept up his throat and he stopped short of letting it loose. No. It was not him. It was them. They were the ones holding him back. He was just trying to break free, to get away from the callous world that had imprisoned him. Away from dirty hands that would force his obedience.

He figured he could really use an outlet for the mounting anger he felt burning his skin. The rage at everything he couldn't control, perfectly wrapped up inside him and now steadily breaking free. He breathed in deeply and released.

He needed to vent. Preferably on the form of one missing teammate.

Tenten was looking at him once again, that interested glint shining in her curious eyes. Gai was off in another speech of his, lost to everything around him and he would have to start a list for him as well.

One day Neji swore he would put all his torture methods to good use.

Standing, he finally turned to Gai and glared at him. He wasn't going to wait for that trash any longer. When Lee_ did _show though, as Neji knew he eventually would, the Byakugan user would be the first to greet him. That idiot had it coming, just like their stupid teacher…

* * *

Lee rushed by people, weaving in and out with superior speed and reflexes, dodging and jumping like the ninja he was. The civilians didn't spare a blink, having lived with the ninja for as long as they had taught you to ignore and except such behavior. Only the children stared in awe as ninja raced down the streets, impossible speed making them seem to fly over the rooftops.

Lee loved the children. They would point and their parents would either smile or nod grimly before pulling them along. The child might smile or pout but Lee would flash them a dashing grin anyways, one that would surely make Gai proud, and pull a flashy stunt to impress them.

There were no children today; he observed solemnly, no gawking toddlers or carefree kindergarteners. The wind was picking up, people were rushing to get home and get warm, and what was he doing? He was preparing to meet his team to train in the oncoming weather.

Gai never took no for an answer. There were never limitations if you were determined enough and nothing would change his mind, not even nature. If there was one thing Gai disliked, it was excuses. A little rain and wind would only make them stronger.

Despite popular opinion though, Lee did not, in fact, always agree with his sensei. No matter how wise and worldly he may be, Gai did not always know best and should act as such. Lee had disagreed immensely with the meet. All other instructors had cancelled today and there was no reason for Gai to hold back either.

He sighed heavily as he proceeded to his station. This was where he dropped off his recovered items and picked up his pay. He was late to meet his team, extremely so, and would need to change back into his ninja garb as fast as possible. He was hoping to beat his record of forty-two seconds today.

He jumped down off the ledge of the roofs he'd been sprinting over and landed at the back door of a little shop. It was a small alleyway but one frequently used if you bothered to any pay attention. It was removed, out of the way of normal ninja traffic, and he waltzed up to the ragged door.

A succession of calculated knocks later and the door was opening. He casually strolled towards the right and into a dark hallway. On his left was a small table that he placed the scroll on. It disappeared immediately, poofing out of existence and most likely into storage for the new owner to come pick up at his convenience. Just as fast a small pouch appeared in its place, and he pocketed his pay. His job done he continued down the hallway and into a small locker-room. It was quiet, nobody else there, and he dressed speedily, soon heading back the way he'd come and towards the training grounds.

Donned once more in his leotard, he grinned. Now his personal best was thirty seconds flat.

The training ground wasn't too far now and no sooner had he taken to the trees he was a half-mile or so from their meeting point. He could sense them already; they had started without him again. He didn't doubt they sensed his approach as well. His face scrunched up in pain remembering the last greeting they'd dished out on his arrival to a meeting. He had been late then too.

Sighing, he told himself there was nothing for it but to prepare himself for the onslaught of abuse he was likely to meet. This was his fault after all. Sometimes he thought he should just quit and go rouge entirely but then remembered exactly who he was. Rock Lee quit nothing! He loved this village and do everything in his power to protect it and all the innocent civilians who inhabited it.

His lateness was admittedly becoming a problem though—a hindrance to their team. It was a bad habit, one Gai complained suspiciously resembled a certain Sharigan rival of his. Gai would rattle his ears off on the rudeness, ineptitude, and complete unyouthfulness of his contributions to Team 10.

It simply wasn't fair for his teammates to show up on time only to be left to waiting on him… though Lee might argue that it wasn't fair being forced to show up to poorly planned meetings in the first place.

As if to confirm his argument, there was a great crack of lightening followed by a loud rumble of thunder that swept across the land. Lee felt the temperature plummet and the wind pick up speed, it would soon rain and he would be wet.

Oh yes. Gai wasn't the greenest leaf in the forest—that was for sure.

Almost there. He could imagine his teammates now. Tenten, despite unstable wind conditions, hitting all targets with perfect accuracy and Neji, sparing with a log, unperturbed by his volatile surroundings.

There was no preparation for the water that fell; it didn't start out gradually, a few drops smattering here and there until it eased itself into an unforgiving torrent. No, instead, a sheet of rain came plummeting from the sky all at once, accompanied by great shocks of light and loud drums of thunder. It was a perfectly awful training day—possibly just a perfectly awful day.

Lee would show the same bravado as his teammates however, it was the least he could do. He would work just as hard as his teammates, using the chaos around him to an advantage in his training.

He would work on speed and accuracy, combining the accuracy of Tenten's kunai with the speed of Neji's Gentle Fist. He would belt around Konoha with his eyes closed, in reverse, and with his fists tied behind his back, using nothing but the wind, rain, and his shinobi skills as a guide. If he could effectively dodge any obstacle in his way then he would count it a success. If not, then he would do five thousand squats and crunches while reciting the shinobi handbook aloud by memory.

Backwards.

* * *

Tenten threw the shuriken through the wind, hand flicking hard to send the metal slicing and spinning in a controlled arc toward the mark. It hit dead center, seemingly ignoring the forces around it that might throw it off-target. Tenten had used the force of the wind to make the impact even greater than what it would have been at normal conditions. There was a satisfying thump and she jumped over to remove her weapons, eying the size of the split they had produced. Had that been a shinobi's chest, it would have been sliced open.

Meanwhile, Neji was monopolizing the elements in a different manner. Instead of using it to an advantage he was battling against it. Splitting raindrops, dodging raindrops, and generally just incorporating them into his fighting style to pit himself against the speed of nature. The inconsistency of the wind was an added bonus, actually making it a challenging exercise. It was not what he preferred to be doing but seeing as his potential sparring partner was gone at the moment and his sensei was next to useless, he was left to what was available.

And he wouldn't admit it, but secretly he liked the rain.

This is the scene upon which Lee arrived and subsequently ruined.

"Lee! Do the heavens not rain down upon us like the Fountain of Youth? Rousing in us inspiration to persevere, which assures only the finest honing of our shinobi talents? Do the rapid winds not-"

Though Gai was attempting to yell above the storm, his students were content to ignore him.

Lee touched the earth with no sound, not that you could have heard anything else above the raging winds and near-torrential rains anyhow. He was thoroughly soaked, as was anyone else unprotected by a shelter and his spandex clung to a muscled form, possibly more revealing than ever before. His teammates were less than pleased, rather enraged that not only had he arrived late, but just in time for the end of their meet. It seemed that Mother Nature's storm was going to be brief too because just as suddenly as it began it was ceasing, pelting sounds drumming down to a pleasant hum in the background.

But this was not the end of the storm for Lee.

Immediately, he had to dodge a whirlwind of weapons, ducking and flipping out of harm's way as Tenten's ferocity threatened to cause him bodily harm. Neji was in his face next and Lee was blocking, trying and failing to return fire to his deadly Gentle Fist. Lee could tell Neji had been practicing without him, and was getting faster every day. It brought reality crashing down on him headfirst._ He was being left behind_. But there was no time to ponder anymore as he stepped out of the way of a hail of attacks to his side.

Lee would have to make things up with his teammates. They didn't deserve this.

And he would also have to train doubly hard. They were getting more powerful, even without him. For some reason that made him feel rejected, both disappointed with himself and irrationally angry they were leaving him in the dust. _This is your fault_, he told himself. _These are the consequences of your actions._

Not a minute later and Gai deftly appeared between them, Neji backing off if only to avoid striking his teacher and Lee landing in a crouch on the opposite side. Gai never tolerated fighting amongst teammates, no matter how well-founded it was, and sought to halt them all.

"There are _other_ youthful means to settling-"

Neji stared at him, cold eyes pinning him to the earth where he stood. For once, Gai's words waned on his tongue and with a defiant sneer Neji turned to leave, not waiting for their teacher to dismiss them. He didn't even look at Lee.

Gai didn't seem troubled though and shook himself, continuing his lecture on how teams worked together. Peacefully. Lee could see Tenten in the background turn her head in irritation, not happy with him but not especially angry at him either. Tenten never held onto her frustration long and Lee knew she would be right back to smiling and pinning him to trees in training the next day as always.

Gai was still talking for some reason and Lee didn't know if he was ever going to ever stop. At this point, it was up to him to put a stop to the endless rambling.

"Gai-sensei!"

He bowed, almost bending himself in half.

"…I offer my sincerest apologies to my teammates and yourself. An emergency held me up this time. It is important you know I don't miss these meetings for mere pleasure. Do not punish Neji and Tenten, for they have every right to be angry with me!"

Gai blinked and looked confused, "Who said anything about punishing them, Lee?"

His sensei struck a pose and pulled a dashing smile before giving him the thumb ups. Inside his head, Lee rolled his eyes.

Tenten didn't even bother hiding her annoyance and rolled her eyes outwardly before starting to clean her weapons up. There were multiple sounds of summons disappearing as she rolled out her scroll and she looked off in the direction Neji had left before thinking to follow him. The meeting was technically over now and since she knew Lee was safe she would have nothing on her conscious.

She shrugged and started to walk away.

Gai watched her go pleasantly and waved, doing nothing to prevent her exit. Tenten waved back as she shouted a farewell to them both, leaving only Gai and Lee in the training grounds to talk.

When Tenten finally disappeared into the forest, Gai turned back to him, a surprisingly serious glint in his eyes. He let his good-guy pose fall and chose to instead fold his arms together and watch Lee fidget around nervously on his feet.

This was one of the few times Lee ever really allowed himself to become nervous, he knew Gai would pry, but worse he knew Gai would find answers. Lee gulped. He'd be damned if Gai didn't know some of Ibiki's tricks.

Gai watched the boy, knowing very well what Lee had been up to. He would ask anyway though, standard procedure.

"Would you like to tell me what you were doing this time, Lee?"

Lee looked off into the distance, behind Gai, around Gai, anywhere but at his teacher. Why was it so hard for him to lie to Gai's face?

_Perhaps because he took you under his tutelage when no one else would have ever bothered. _

"Lee, look at me!"

Gai's voice was stern, and so unused to it, he immediately turned to follow his orders.

"I-I was… on a mission."

Gai raised an eyebrow, interest peeked.

"Lady Tsunade did not inform me that you had been given a solo mission..."

Lee cringed at the mention of the Hokage; he could only hope Gai would not tell her. It was not illegal but highly un-professional for a ninja employed by a ninja village to use their skills for another employer as well.

"No. I was on a… rogue mission."

Gai's eyes widened substantially. He looked astonished, face stricken and Lee might have been hard-pressed to laugh if he wasn't so damn afraid. Apparently, Gai hadn't known what his student was up and was so shocked he couldn't believe it.

"L-lee. You mean…"

Well. It was out there. He had no reason to be afraid any longer and looked up defiantly.

His demeanor was uncharacteristically serious as well and Gai didn't know the boy standing in front of him.

"Yes sensei," Lee chimed, "I work for the Amikage. The Network of Shadows."

* * *

As can be guessed, the Network of Shadows has no concrete village but is a giant network that is linked throughout nearly all of the ninja villages. The leader is what I would like to call the Amikage. For the moment, there won't be much romance. But those reasons are obvious.

I like to think Lee can survive as much more than a side-character. He doesn't have a story. So I gave him one. I hope you like it.


End file.
